Billion kronor programme for Swedish AI research

​The Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation has granted an additional billion Swedish kronor to extend the Wallenberg Autonomous Systems and Software Program (WASP), with a broad investment into artificial intelligence.

​ The initiative in artificial intelligence will follow two pathways. The larger of these involves an investment into machine learning, deep learning and the next generation of AI. This has been termed “eXplainable AI” and involves asking the system how it reached a particular answer, whereby the system can justify its answers and use them in a general situation. The second pathway deals with increasing our understanding of the mathematical principles behind AI.

Each of the two branches has resources to recruit 14 senior researchers and 40 research students, where the research students will become members of graduate schools and take specialist courses in relevant fields. The two new graduate schools will coordinate with the graduate school that has already been established within the framework of WASP, where just over 100 research students are currently studying. Both the senior researchers and the research students will be recruited at the universities that are participating in WASP, primarily Chalmers University of Technology, the Royal Institute of Technology, Linköping University and Lund University. Further Swedish universities, however, may also benefit from the research grant.

"This expansion of WASP is a fantastic opportunity for Chalmers and Sweden to build on our existing strengths in AI, but also recruit and train the next generation of AI experts," says David Sands, Chalmers representative in the WASP Program Management Group.

The grant also provides SEK 70 million to reinforce computing infrastructure.

“This is a unique investment, even in an international perspective. WASP will in this way obtain the resources needed to create the knowledge platform that Sweden requires if it is to continue to hold its position at the forefront of research and remain competitive,” says Mille Millnert, chair of the WASP board.

With this extension, WASP will have a budget of SEK 3 billion between now and 2026. At least 250 research students will be educated, at least 75 of them being industry-based research students. This is a powerful investment with connections to many different parts within artificial intelligence, software development and principles of autonomy. The new grant will also enable the recruitment of 46 senior researchers, the construction of demonstrators (arenas in which the research and commercial worlds can meet in concrete projects), investment into computer infrastructure, guest researcher programmes, and international collaboration.

For more information about WASP at Chalmers, contact:David Sands, Professor of Information Security, dave@chalmers.seMats Viberg, First Vice President with responsibility for research, mats.viberg@chalmers.se